Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 103:1–5 (KJV 1900)

1. Intro

The following proclamation was made by Governor Bradford in 1623, 3 years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth.

To all ye Pilgrims, Inasmuch as the great father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, squashes and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the raids of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Plymouth rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

With those thoughts in mind let’s read Psalm 103:1–5.

Ps.103:1-5

We should be thankful that we live in the greatest, most blessed, country that has ever existed, and I am.

We should be thankful that we have received more material blessings than any other generation before us, and I am.

We should be thankful that we are in a church where people love the Lord and each other, and I am.

We should be thankful for our families that God has blessed, and I am.

As we close in on Thanksgiving, there’s a verse I think will enhance our Thanksgiving season.

Read James 1:17.

Every good thing we have ever had and every good thing we will ever have comes from the Father of Lights, God Almighty.

We have a tendency as we give thanks to God for remembering the material and physical blessings.

But this evening, I would like for us to remember the more fundamental blessings of God.

These are the gifts of God that will never fade away, never rust, never rot, but will continue to bless us for all eternity.

Let’s remember to give thanks for these gifts this evening.

I. Give Thanks for Forgiveness

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;

What are our iniquities?

The word used here for “iniquity” means “faults, mischiefs, or sin.”

We have all committed many faults and mischiefs against God.

None of us are innocent of sin.

(Romans 6:23

The penalty for our faults, mischiefs, sin and iniquity, is death.

This death is not only physical death, which we will all go through, but the “second death” as well.

Our iniquities are a terrible thing.

How can we escape them?

God has forgiven all our iniquities.

Through Jesus Christ, we have been forgiven.

Forgiveness means God has pardoned us.

We are guilty of sin, no doubt about it.

But, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been pardoned.

A criminal who has been pardoned is not assumed innocent of a crime, he’s just free from the penalty of the crime.

We are all guilty of the crime of sin, but through Jesus, we are free from the penalty of our sin.

The forgiveness of God has freed us from the wages of sin—death and hell.

If we are looking for something to be thankful for, we can be thankful for God’s forgiveness.

II.

Give Thanks for Healing

“Who healeth all thy diseases.”

from the smallest to the deadliest give thanks.

Havent had a disease?

Then give thanks for God healing you of your sin sickness.

III.

Give Thanks for Redemption

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

Sin brings destruction.

We are all familiar with the pain of sin.

In our lives we have all suffered from sinful choices we have made.

Sin not only brings about pain and suffering in this life, but sin brings the second death, hell.

Something we may not think about as much when discussing sin, is the One who is most offended by our sin.

Sin, all sin, and every kind of sin, is an affront, a shake of the fist, pure rebellion, against the Almighty Creator, God.

Rebellion against God will always bring swift destruction to the one who rebels.

God has redeemed us from destruction.

God, who hates sin and will not stand for rebellion, knew we would all rebel.

We are unable to escape from our sin, we were born sinners and with the inclination to sin.

We are slaves to our sin and are doomed to the destruction sin brings.

But God has provided redemption to all who will come to Jesus.

We are all on the slave block, but when we trust in Jesus, he redeems us.

He purchased us, by His blood, from our destruction, and turned us from slaves to sons.

If we are looking for something to be thankful for, we can be thankful for God’s redemption.

IV.

Give Thanks for Grace and Mercy

(v. 4).

Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

The first two reasons for giving thanks, forgiveness and redemption, speak of God’s positive reaction for our negative actions.

Now we’re looking at God’s positive actions toward our negative acts.

The compound word “lovingkindness.”

God is so great toward us that one word can’t describe it.

God is loving toward us.

God is kind toward us.

This is all one act of God toward us.

This could be called “favor.”

God is also tender toward us.

We can use the two words, “grace” and “mercy” here.

A. Grace.

Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.

As sinners in rebellion against God, we don’t deserve forgiveness or redemption.

We’ve earned every bit of destruction that is due to us.

But God is full of grace.

Through Jesus, He extends His grace to us.

Even though we deserve destruction, the second death, when we turn to Christ, we are spared.

That is grace.

The best of us never earned or deserved anything from God.

But by His grace, His unearned, unmerited favor, we are saved.

B. Mercy.

While grace is getting what we don’t deserve, mercy is not getting what we do deserve.

How dare we rebel against our Creator?

How dare we shake our fist in the face of the Only True and Living God?

We deserve everything that we’ve got coming.

God has had mercy on us and saved us through Jesus Christ.

If we are looking for something to be thankful for, we can be thankful for God’s grace and mercy.

V. Give Thanks for Renewal

(v. 5).

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s

As Christians, we have been renewed.

Our bodies are slowly deteriorating and none of us are as young as we used to be.

But while that goes on physically, God is renewing our spirit every day.

God is at work bringing us closer and closer to Him.

God is building a deeper and deeper relationship with all who are His.